Cheerful Stuff
As the season of joy approaches, time and tempers seem shorter, resources wither and too often giving becomes more of a chore than a blessing. It seems like the perfect time of year to try and distinguish between the needy and greedy, but to do so without judging is often beyond our means. “It is written: “‘As surely as I live,’ says the Lord, ‘every knee will bow before me; every tongue will acknowledge God.‘” So then, each of us will give an account of ourselves to God. ” (Romans 14:11, 12 NIV). What does God expect from us? Giving out of duty, obligation or tradition dampens the spirit and provides little radiant warmth for the giver. Cheerful giving has quite the opposite affect. The burdens behind the often turned phrase, “we exchange gifts,” are those of duty and/or expectation, the weight of which spend rather than bank joy. Quite simply, there is no physical balance in giving. Giving simply means moving resources from larger piles to littler ones. Giving is sharing. Our nature is to try and build bigger piles for ourselves and then share some of that with others. God’s nature is to share as needed. Our nature is to serve ourselves first and then if we have time, serve others. God’s nature is to serve everyone else first and then make do with whatever is left. Our nature is to hold out our hand when necessary, God’s nature is to extend His hand of grace all the time. God expects us to be more like He is.
“Each of you should give what you have decided in your heart to give, not reluctantly or under compulsion, for God loves a cheerful giver.” (2 Corinthians 9:7 NIV). When we need money, God might provide money or the resources to earn money. He might also forgive debts, alter needs, rearrange priorities or teach a lesson. What He never does is turn his back on us. As random and circumstantial as his methods may sound, they are neither of those. Knowing what we need is His forte, knowing how best to fill that need is His perfect gift. Knowing what’s left in our hearts is too often His burden to bear. If God could deliver the perfect gift to this world, it would again be through His sharing. If we all followed His example, the following conditions would not exist; poverty, hunger, homelessness and loneliness. A world without these plagues would be a garden planted much closer to Heaven. Gifting whatever is in our hearts is all that God asks of us. Working on the condition of our hearts is His constantly flowing gift to us.
JC Calkins with COMMON SENSE 4 UNCOMMON PEOPLE
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